Trying to freshen up your look for the summer months? Ombré hair is still on trend, thanks to celebrities like Jennifer Lopez and Khloé Kardashian, and is a great way to get that beachy, care-free look. Now, thanks to at-home kits, like the L’OréalFeria Wild Ombré Kit, you’re able to copy this summer hair color without having to spend a ton of time (or money) at a salon. Our latest Real Girl Makeover subject, Molly, tried out the trend at home.

It’s easy to get the perfect style at home whether you’re looking for a classic ombré, something more bold with color, or even a more subtle & chic ombré. For Molly, subtle & chic was the way to go. She used the Feria Wild Ombré 070-color kit, since her hair was dark brown, and applied it to the lower half of her hair. After waiting a bit, she washed out the dye and had fresh color.

The end result was flawless. The ombré color was a light honey that complemented Molly’s natural hair color and complexion. “I feel like such a beach babe,” she said. Most people think ombré has to be a drastic color change, but Molly is proof that a more subtle ombré approach can be just as striking.

Video by Alissa Huff

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Rachel Bilson without ombré hair is like Lauren Conrad without her signature cat eye—simply unthinkable. But the “Hart of Dixie” actress has done it — she’s ditched her ombré honey ends for an all-over dark brunette hue. While the color looks gorgeous on her and aligns with the deep brown trend for fall, this has us wondering…is ombré hair color on its way out if its unofficial spokesperson has gone for a single-process color?

Over the past few years, we’ve seen ombré transition to a more subtle two-tone look. Harry Josh, John Frieda International creative consultant and celebrity hair stylist/colorist, told us that, if you opt for two-tone hair, you’ve got to make it look natural. “Subtle highlights and lighter ends will always be in style if done right — I hate dramatic, two tone hair,” says Josh. “I don’t think it looks classy. If you’re going ombré, make sure it looks natural.”

While Rachel is the most surprising example, she’s not the only one to ditch the ombré. Drew Barrymore, who has had everything from red ombré to brunette and blonde, is now sporting a classic honey hue from top to bottom.

In our new Q&A series, beauty experts address your most bewildering issues. Have a beauty-related quandary of your own? Submit your question in the comments below or via Twitter.

Q: I have an appointment to go ombré. I’ve never colored my hair before. What do I tell the hairdresser?

A: “Tell your hairdresser that you would like your hair to look lighter on the ends,” says colorist Shannon Silva of Dyer + Posta salon (a Marie Robinson affiliate) in Atlanta. “It all depends on the look you are going for. If you want more dramatic ombré then ask her to darken your roots, and lighten your ends. For more natural ombré, suggest keeping your natural root color, with a subtle balayage on the ends and around the face.” Unlike traditional foil highlights, balayage creates a more natural sun-kissed finish because the colorist hand paints the highlights where the sun actually hits the hair. Request that your colorist start with thin highlights below the root that gradually get thicker toward the tips. Changing the amount of color both down the hair shaft and on each strand creates dimension.

A word of advice: Don’t over lighten the tips of your hair. Not only does high-contrast, two-toned hair look unnatural, but the more you lighten your hair, the more damaged and dry it can become. Ends are especially prone to breakage and splits.

]]>http://dailymakeover.com/how-to-request-ombre-at-the-salon/feed/0Ombre-HPmenshinskiymLily AdridgeHow To DIY Reverse Ombré Hair Color (It’s Easy, Promise)http://dailymakeover.com/reverse-ombre-hair-color/
http://dailymakeover.com/reverse-ombre-hair-color/#commentsFri, 01 Mar 2013 17:19:15 +0000http://dm.sg.umbrella-web.com/reverse-ombre-hair-color/]]>Ombré hair color has been around for years, and it doesn’t seem to be losing any momentum. Instead of fading away, the look is taking new forms — from a more natural progression of subtle color to the reverse ombré, which is lighter on top and darker at the ends. Seen on the likes of Beyoncé and Gwyneth Paltrow, the look is slowly making its rounds among celebrities, and now we’re ready to try it ourselves. Marie Robinson, Clairol Color Director, recently gave us some tips on getting this look at home using Clairol Nice ‘n Easy ($9, clairol.com), stripping us of our box color phobia.

Choosing Your Shade
Marie suggests using two shades in the same tone family, the first 1-2 shades darker than your current color for the mid-lengths, and the second 3-4 shades darker than your current color for the tips. You want a contrast that looks natural.

Prep
Divide hair into four large, equal sections. Secure each section with a plastic clip.

Application
1. Prep the lighter shade. Apply the dye several inches away from the scalp to the mid-lengths of the hair on all four sections. Make sure to coat the hair using a zig zag moition so the color doesn’t streak.
2. Prep darker shade and apply from the ends of hair to the middle where the first color ended. Again, coat in zig zags.
3. Let sit for 25 minutes. Then rinse.

For blondes, like Gwyneth and Beyoncé, go with a brown or dirty blonde at the tips for contrast. For naturally dark hues, it’s a little trickier to get that difference in color. Marie suggests going a little red with your base and finishing with dark tips.

]]>http://dailymakeover.com/reverse-ombre-hair-color/feed/0REVERSE-OMBRE_HOMEPAGEmenshinskiymREVERSE-OMBRE_ARTICLEReal Girl, Real Makeover: “I Went Ombré!”http://dailymakeover.com/ombre-hair-color-makeover/
http://dailymakeover.com/ombre-hair-color-makeover/#commentsMon, 21 Jan 2013 18:55:26 +0000http://dm.sg.umbrella-web.com/ombre-hair-color-makeover/]]>All through January, our special Makeover Month series is here to inspire you to update your look — whether it’s a tiny tweak or a major beauty overhaul. Let’s get this makeover started!

Ombré hair color has been a trend for a few years now, and even though we love the way it looks, we can’t help but wonder whether the look is still relevant. To find out, we recruited Kailin, an account manager at StyleCaster, to try out the 2013 version of ombré courtesy of celebrity colorist Rita Hazan, who counts Katy Perry, Beyoncé and Jessica Simpson as clients.

“The new version of ombré is softer, more of a natural gradation instead of a harsh line,” Rita explained. And that’s exactly what Kailin had in mind.

But first, it was time for a quick trim with stylist Andre Rodman, who cleaned up Kailin’s ends so that her hair color would look polished and perfect. Kailin also got a makeup refresh courtesy of makeup artist Sandy Linter. “This look is all about gleam and glow,” said Sandy, who used highlighter, diffused brown liner and red lipstick to play up Kailin’s features.

Finally, it was time for color. Rita teased pieces of Kailin’s hair before painting on highlights, a technique that helps the color blend from dark to light without leaving a line of demarcation. She also lightened a few strands near the roots. “I never really liked the ombré where it was really dark to light,” Rita explained. “I went in and softened it with very fine highlights at the top, just to give it a little bit of lightness so that it blends better and it’s more flattering.”

Once Kailin’s highlights had processed and Rita fine-tuned the tone, it was time for a bouncy blowout and the big reveal. “When I first saw my new ‘do, I felt glamorous and started making plans—looking that great on a Monday shouldn’t go wasted!” Kailin said.

Considering an ombré makeover of your own? According to Rita, care is key. Your ends are already the most fragile part of the hair (think about all the years of heat styling they’ve seen), and lightening them can cause further damage. Use a deep conditioning treatment on your hair once or twice a week to keep it moisturized and prevent breakage, Rita recommends.

The good news? This look works for pretty much everybody, says Rita, who calls the new ombré “universal.” Plus, since roots won’t be a big deal, you can go four to five months without a touchup.

]]>http://dailymakeover.com/ombre-hair-color-makeover/feed/0makeover3_hpmenshinskiymReal girl hair color makeover: "I went ombré!"Kailin's real girl makeover: haircut and makeupReal girl makeover: Ombré hair color at Rita Hazan SalonKailin with celebrity colorist Rita HazanTop 10 Ombré Hairstyleshttp://dailymakeover.com/top-10-ombre-hairstyles/
http://dailymakeover.com/top-10-ombre-hairstyles/#commentsSun, 16 Dec 2012 21:55:09 +0000http://dm.sg.umbrella-web.com/top-10-ombre-hairstyles/]]>]]>http://dailymakeover.com/top-10-ombre-hairstyles/feed/0jessica-alba-ombremenshinskiymThe Hottest Hues For Hair Right Nowhttp://dailymakeover.com/fall-hair-color-trends/
http://dailymakeover.com/fall-hair-color-trends/#commentsWed, 17 Oct 2012 14:55:40 +0000http://dm.sg.umbrella-web.com/fall-hair-color-trends/]]>If you don’t already know, Tracey Cunningham is basically THE celebrity colorist, responsible for Hollywood’s most covetable heads of hair. Just take a look at the Redken Creative Consultant for Color’s ridiculously impressive client list: Emma Stone, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jessica Biel, Jennifer Lopez, Charlize Theron and Reese Witherspoon all owe their gorgeous shades to Tracey. So when she opens up about trends, we’re all ears. The LA-based colorist recently gave us the scoop on her top three looks this season for brunettes, redheads and blondes, plus her take on whether edgy ombré and rainbow color are fading away or still going strong. Read on for her expert take!

For Blondes

“Ash blonde is having a moment. This natural multi-dimensional, non-fussy, natural blonde is definitely a must-have this season for many of my clients. And for those on the lighter end of the spectrum, Gwyneth Paltrow‘s gorgeous natural color continues to be a most requested look.”

Gwyneth Paltrow’s beautiful blonde.Photo: Getty Images

For Redheads

Emma Stone may be sporting flaxen locks at the moment, but it’s her signature red that still has everyone talking. “This season reds will be as stunning as ever! Moving away from the rich, ruby reds we saw last season, many of my clients are opting for a less extreme red that fits with more skin tones. Many clients ask me to recreate Emma Stone’s red. And why not? She is one of the most vibrant redheads of our time!”

Emma Stone’s ravishing red.Photo: Getty Images

For Brunettes

“The most requested look I receive continues to be the ombré. Clients constantly bring in reference images of this trend’s originator, my client Lily Aldridge,” Tracey says. “Ombré is a color for all seasons and here to stay.”

Lily Aldridge’s lovely ombré.Photo: Getty Images

Since Tracey works with Redken, she recommends the brand’s Chromatics salon color line to achieve each of these looks (specifically, the Naturals, Cool Browns & Beiges, Golds, Warm Browns & Beiges or Natural Warm shades work for blondes and brunettes, while redheads should request Red, Violet or Copper shades).

As far as the edgy looks we’ve been seeing lots of lately (think: My Little Pony rainbow hair, two-toned dye jobs, etc.)? “I think the extreme ombré and other drastic colors will begin to fade away as we pass into the fall and winter months,” Tracey says. “In the cooler months [clients] tend to gravitate towards more natural colors that will look great in holiday pictures.” What better reason to head to the salon?

Will you try any of these color trends this season?

]]>http://dailymakeover.com/fall-hair-color-trends/feed/0gwyneth-paltrow-blonde-hair-color-hpmenshinskiymgwyneth-paltrow-blonde-hair-coloremma-stone-red-hair-colorlily-aldridge-ombre-hair-colorTake Hair From Just Okay To Ombréhttp://dailymakeover.com/take-hair-from-just-okay-to-ombre/
http://dailymakeover.com/take-hair-from-just-okay-to-ombre/#commentsWed, 09 May 2012 00:30:00 +0000http://dm.sg.umbrella-web.com/take-hair-from-just-okay-to-ombre/]]>At Daily Makeover, I am constantly writing about the latest celebrity makeovers and beauty trends. It’s basically the best job ever. The only problem? I have yet to put my makeover where my mouth is. Until recently, that is.

I first fell in love with the ombré look when I saw it on stars like Jessica Biel and Rachel Bilson, but I sort of chalked it up to a celebrity look. A couple of months ago, though, I was walking out of a beauty event when I noticed a girl with the most beautiful hair ever. She had dark brown hair that gradually faded into caramel hued curls. I had major hair envy, and knew if a normal, non-celebrity could pull it off, so could I.

Since this was my first foray into hair color, I decided I needed some professional help. What I got was even better: Kyle White, lead colorist at the Oscar Blandi Salon. He is the hair color genius behind stars like Mariah Carey, Maria Menounos, Robin Wright, and Tinsley Mortimer. You know when you read that celebrities will pay to fly their colorist to them? Yeah, he’s that guy for a lot of stars.

Kyle carefully hand-painted a honey hued color onto different sections of my hair. Since he’s not a fan of ombré that looks too harshly contrasted, he also gave me some face-framing highlights that started at the the top of my head. After the entire coloring process was finished, I got a blow out and large barrel waves, which Kyle favors for the ombré color.

It’s been a few weeks since I got my new look, and I am still loving it. As recommended by Kyle, I’ve been using Oribe’s Shampoo ($36, Oribe.com) and Conditioner ($39, Oribe.com) for Beautiful Color, and it has kept my hair looking shiny and healthy. Most importantly, I love that almost after a month, I still don’t look like I need a touch-up of any kind. Check out the video below to see Kyle (and my hair) in action!